


A Fool For Lesser Things

by ReginaPendragon



Series: A Fool For Lesser Things [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fantasizing, Kissing, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 14:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15317730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaPendragon/pseuds/ReginaPendragon
Summary: After a miscommunication leaves their budding relationship at a standstill, Tina confronts Newt when she discovers he's been carrying her picture in his case.





	A Fool For Lesser Things

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is my first foray into writing fic for this pairing and this fandom. I was inspired by the recently released promo image of Newt’s case with the picture of Tina inside and the interview that Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston did for Buzzfeed, so naturally this is pure speculation for what might happen in the next movie. The title is taken from “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel.

Tina Goldstein was at her wits’ end.

In the chaos of the last few hours, she hadn’t had a moment to catch her breath, let alone give Newt Scamander the tongue-lashing he so rightfully deserved for breaking her heart. It had all happened so quickly: she’d been deep undercover, investigating the sinister Cirque Arcanus when Newt and Jacob came crashing in, disrupting her carefully laid plans to find Credence and get him to safety. The rest of it was a blur. They’d had to escape through the sewers and by the time they made it back to Newt’s place, Tina was livid.

“The sewers!” she repeated to Jacob after she finished washing the muck off her clothes and out of her hair. “Of all the ridiculous things!”

Jacob was lying prone on the sofa of Newt’s flat, still winded from their hasty retreat. “It was better than the alternative,” he said. “Those circus guys were bad news, Tina.”

“Of course they were!” Tina hissed. “That’s why I was investigating. Doing my job.” She plopped down on the armrest and buried in head in her hands. It wasn’t Jacob she was angry at. But as usual, the source or her ire was lurking just out of sight. Newt’s closed case lay on the coffee table, taunting her with its mere presence. “He’s inside, isn’t he.” Of course he is, she added to herself. He doesn’t even have the decency to look me in the eye. Well, no matter. I’m going to give that infuriating man a piece of my mind if it’s the last thing I do. With that decided, she got up and smoothed out her clothes. She wanted to look presentable when she confronted him. She wanted him to see exactly what he’d been missing.

“Hey,” Jacob spoke up as she undid the clasps and started to lift the lid of the case. “Go easy on him, Tina. He’s had a rough few months.”

“I will do no such thing,” she huffed. “He’s not the only one who’s had a rough few…” she stopped short as she pulled the case open and her eyes fell on a newspaper clipping that was tacked inside the lid. “Where did he get this?” She rounded on Jacob, fury building up in her chest. For months her anger and frustration with Newt had been building, simmering beneath the surface, just out of sight. But seeing her own picture ripped out of the newspaper and pinned in Newt’s case was the last straw. “How dare he.” She used an unsticking charm to pry the picture from its resting place. “How. Dare. He. After everything that’s happened…”

“Tina…” Jacob tried to warn her, but she was already inside the case and halfway down the ladder that led to Newt’s shed. He’s not here either, she noted. He’s probably cowering away in some corner. No matter. He can’t hide from me forever.

She marched through the varying animal habitats, only slowing down when Pickett the bowtruckle landed on her shoulder. “Not now,” she complained, trying to shake him off. “I need to find Newt. Do you know where he is?”

The little stick creature regarded her a solemn face and pointed a spindly arm toward the occamy habitat before jumping off her shoulder to rejoin his mates. Sure enough, Newt was there: his back was to her, but from his posture Tina guessed he was feeding some newly hatched critters. The sight of him tugged at her heart. This was the Newt she remembered: the gentle soul who cared more about his creatures than fame and glory. This was the version of him that she’d come to admire, not the puffed up playboy of the society pages he’d become. 

Her anger renewed, she stalked over to him, brandishing the picture like a talisman. “What the hell is this?”

Newt stood up slowly and turned around, an expression of utter bewilderment on his face. “It’s you,” he said.

“I know it’s me!” she exclaimed. “What I want to know is why you have it.”

“I didn’t have a proper photograph of you, so when I saw this one in the Daily Prophet…” he trailed off, finally looking her in the eye and realizing how angry she was. “If you’re offended, I can put it somewhere else.” Please don’t be offended, he added to himself. 

Tina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “If I’m offended?” She tucked the picture into her jacket pocket, fearing that she’d crumple it in her fist if she held it a second longer. “If I were you, I’d be more worried about what your fiancée will think when she finds out you’ve been carrying another woman’s picture around. Unless she’s the sort of woman who’s willing to put up with that. Which I am not, for the record.”

Her words washed over him but nothing she was saying seemed to sink in. “My what?” Now Newt was even more confused than ever. “I don’t have fiancée, Tina.”

“Then why was everyone at the Ministry talking about it? That’s all I’ve been hearing ever since I arrived. Mr. Scamander and Miss Lestrange.” It hurt to say the words. Almost as much as it hurt to have him stand in front of her and deny it. Anger was one thing, but the thing that hurt the most was that she still had feelings for him, and strong feelings at that.

“Oh.” Newt sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat. So she’s heard the happy news then. “Bloody hell. No wonder you stopped writing to me if that’s what you heard.”

Tina bristled. “That’s not all I heard. There were articles upon articles about you and half the women in London in the society pages. I didn’t believe it at first, but then I saw that picture with you and your assistant and then I heard about you and Leta and…”

“I’m not engaged,” Newt said, cutting her off before she could condemn him further. “I never was. And my assistant is just my assistant.”

“Then why…?” Tina’s anger gave way to confusion. “Newt, what in the name of Deliverance Dane is going on?”

One of the occamies chirped, diverting his attention. Tina’s mind reeled as he bent down again to tend to the creature. Was it possible that she’d heard wrong? But how could that be? She’d heard the same story from multiple people at the British Ministry of Magic. Scamander and Lestrange, Scamander and Lestrange, over and over again, pushing her to the brink of crying until she had to run to the ladies’ room to weep hot, angry tears in private. Once the moment had passed, she’d forced herself to harden her heart against him. It was the only way she’d been able to cope with the heartache. But if Newt wasn’t engaged, then why was everyone saying he was… oh wait. Newt isn’t the only man in town with the name Scamander. “It’s your brother, isn’t it?” she realized. “Your brother is the one who’s engaged. To her.”

Newt stood up again and turned around slowly. Even with his eyes downcast, Tina couldn’t have missed the look of pure anguish distorting his features. “They’re having an autumn wedding,” he told her. “I’m quite dreading it. I was hoping you’d consider accompanying me, but when you stopped writing, I assumed you’d forgotten me.” He hadn’t known what to think when Tina’s letters had come to an abrupt standstill. He’d wanted to write back, but feared pestering her by doing so. So he’d done nothing. And clearly, that had been the wrong choice.

Tina stared at him, her mind still reeling to process this new information. Newt Scamander, you are an utterly ridiculous man, she thought. I couldn’t forget you. Not even if I tried. And that’s all I’ve been trying to do ever since I thought you were the one who’d forgotten me. “I kept all your letters, you know,” she admitted. Every time she saw his messy handwriting on a new envelope, it made her heart soar to know that his hand had traced the letters of her name. Until the envelopes stopped coming and she’d been confronted with the possibility that he was writing other women’s names instead. “I used to re-read them whenever I was missing you,” she went on. “When I thought you’d moved on, I was so upset I nearly threw them in the fire.”

Newt looked up. “But you didn’t?” There was a hint of hope in his voice. Please say no, he prayed. Then maybe I can still set things right.

Tina shook her head. “I stashed them away somewhere and now I can’t remember where I put them.” She crossed her arms and fixed him with her best look of inquisition. Much of her anger had abated in the last few minutes, but there were still a few things that needed to be cleared up. “You really hurt me, Newt. If you would have just talked to me instead of hiding away, suffering in silence…”

“I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.” He shuffled nervously from foot to foot, at a loss for something to say next. For so many months, he’d missed the scrutiny of her stare, even though he squirmed under it now. “Er… would you care for a cup of tea?” That was always his mum’s way of defusing a tense situation. Newton, you got thrown out of school? Have a cup of tea. Newton, you’re going away on another field mission? Take lots of tea with you and don’t forget your travelling kettle. Newton, your brother’s engaged to your unrequited first love? Have a whole bloody pot of tea and a plate of biscuits for good measure. Mum would be proud, he thought. She’ll make a gracious host out of me yet.

Tina could scarcely hide her exasperation. How can he even think about tea at a time like this? She wondered. Then again, that was what everyone in England did. Sit down and have tea. And talk. “Fine,” she agreed. “But we’re not done talking about this.” She followed him back to the shed and kept quiet while he put the kettle on. She perched on the corner of his desk where she could keep an eye on him. Now that most of her righteous anger had burned off, she was remembering things from before. Like the way he would duck his head to avoid her gaze, just as he was doing now. That familiar mixture of shyness and apprehension that had drawn her to him in the first place. In the months since she’d seen him, the memories of their short time together had sustained her until the hurt and confusion set in. Now she carried it as a constant ache in her chest. An old reminder that she would never be good enough.

His voice startled her from her ruminations. “Milk and sugar?”

Tina shrugged. She didn’t care much what went into her tea. She vastly preferred coffee or cocoa, but this would have to do for now. She gave him a minute to take a sip and to ready herself for what she needed to say next. “Start from the beginning,” she tried. “Those newspaper articles…”

He approached with caution, setting his teacup on the edge of the desk beside her before retreating to a safe distance. “The press have been hounding me ever since the release date for my book was announced,” he began. “My brother’s been right in the thick of it. He keeps inviting me to dinner parties and social events.” He grimaced at the thought. He’d been a dreadful party guest, forever finding a wall to lean against or a dark corner to retreat to. He much preferred to observe such events from a safe distance, but Theseus was always insisting that he “get out there more” and “enjoy his newfound fame”. The entire enterprise had been unbearable and the people even more so. All of Theseus’s friends and associates were stiff and snobbish, more concerned with their own petty affairs than anything else going on in the world. The only people Newt could hold a significant conversation with were Dumbledore and his assistant. He’d tried to fake it – to put on his best suit and his best smile – but it never felt right. 

This must be what Jacob meant when he said Newt has had a rough few months, Tina surmised. Not only is his brother engaged to the girl he used to love, but all the forced socialising and merry-making… she wasn’t one for parties herself and she suspected Newt, with his general discomfort around other people, was even less so. “So all this time I thought you were living the high life in London society, you’ve actually been miserable?”

Newt nodded. “I’ve never had so many people crowding around me in all my life. Anytime I’m so much as introduced to a woman, the rumour mill kicks into high gear.” He risked a glance at her, noting her frown. “It’s only gotten worse since my brother got engaged. He’s always been the one in the spotlight and now he wants to drag me into it too.” He laughed mirthlessly. “Funny that. He’s ignored me for years, now he wants to be my best friend.”

Or maybe he’s jealous, Tina considered. It was an uncharitable thought and she cursed herself inwardly for even having it. She didn’t even know Theseus Scamander. But she did know what it was like to be jealous of a younger sibling. Try as she might, there had been times over the years where Tina wished she could be as carefree and likeable as her younger sister. But she’d pushed all that aside, just as she pushed it away now. “Maybe he’s trying to make up for excluding you before,” she suggested.

Newt had a less cheerful point of view. “I think he feels guilty. For falling in love with Leta. And for not having the decency to tell me.”

That piqued her interest. “What do you mean?”

Newt took another sip of tea and Tina realized she hadn’t even tried hers yet. She’d just been holding on to the floral-patterned teacup like a lifeline. She took a tentative sip and let the warm liquid calm her shattered nerves. She had to admit, the stuff wasn’t bad. After she’d had her fill, she set her cup down beside his and nodded at him to keep going.

“He kept it a secret from me,” Newt told her. “He’s been courting her for almost a year, but I only found out a few months ago.”

“But why would he…” Tina frowned, trying to sort through her confusion. An unpleasant thought dawned on her. “Does he think you’re still, you know, holding a candle for her?” Just saying the words made her stomach twist.

But Newt shook his head, and the unpleasantness fell away again. “I cared for her a great deal when we were younger,” he said. “For a long time, she was my only friend. There was a brief time I thought we could be more than that. But then… then everything changed. And it all went wrong.” The memory prickled at the edge of his consciousness but he pushed it back. The last thing he wanted to do was relieve those terrible days. 

“When you got kicked out of school?” she guessed. “Someday you’ll have to tell me that story.”

Another pained look crossed his face. “It was a long time ago.”

“You don’t have to tell me now,” she said, “but we do need to figure out where you and I went wrong.”

Newt took a tentative step forward. She wasn’t frowning at him anymore, but she didn’t look very reassured either, judging from her rigid posture and the way she was gripping the edge of the desk. “Was it something I said in my last letter?” he guessed. This had been his assumption for some time now.

A shadow crossed her face, making him halt his approach “Well, you did sound pretty excited about having a new assistant,” she said reproachfully. “Then I saw the pictures in the paper a few days later. She’s very pretty. I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.”

I suppose I deserve that, Newt thought. But something was off. “You didn’t get my letter about the book?”

What’s he talking about now? “What letter about the book?”

“The one where I said I couldn’t come back to New York because MACUSA denied me entry into the country?” Newt was truly befuddled now. “Did you… did you not get that letter?”

Comprehension finally dawned on Tina. “No. No I didn’t get that letter. So all this time… you thought I stopped writing because I was upset with you for not being able to come back to New York?”

“Yes!” he exclaimed. “That’s exactly what I was worried about. Tina, you have to believe me. I wanted nothing more than to make good on my promise to bring you the book in person. But it seems circumstances got the better of both of us,” he added sadly. “I’ve been so foolish. I didn’t think I stood a chance of getting back into your good graces.”

Was it possible that he’d been missing her just as much as she’d been missing him? All those months, thinking he’d moved on… if only I’d written to him again. Tried to set things right. She looked up at where he stood, downcast and defeated. Oh Newt. What have I done? “I’m sorry,” she whispered, fearful her tears would return. “I’ve been foolish too. I knew something wasn’t right. I should have realized there was more going on…”

Newt shook his head, eager to placate her. “Please don’t apologize,” he said. “I made some assumptions of my own. Incorrect ones, it would seem.” He took another step toward her, slow and tentative, hands out to indicate he came in peace. “I know I hurt you, Tina.” He stopped short just in front of her, giving her just enough space to come to him should she desire it. “I wish I could take it all back.”

“But you can’t,” she reminded him. Her lower lip trembled from the effort of holding back her emotions. “You think you can just show up while I’m in the middle of an investigation…”

“You were in trouble,” he reminded her. “I would have come for you no matter what.” 

She let the words sink in as her hopes rose to meet them. “You really mean that?”

A hesitant smile lifted the corners of his lips. “I’ve still got you, Tina.” Then he looked up and caught her eye, moving another step closer. “There’s something you need to see. It’s in the top drawer of my desk. Right where you’re sitting.”

What could he possibly mean? Tina wondered as she moved aside to let him open the drawer. Inside, on top of a messy pile of parchment and spent quills, was a cheaply bound paperback book. “This is a mock-up – an advanced reader copy of my book,” he explained. “The proper published version is going to look a lot better, but they let me take this one to make notes in.”

Tina’s heart thudded uncomfortably in her chest. The book, at long last: his life’s work. She was holding it in her hands, just as he’d promised. But that wasn’t what was making her heart race. It was the title. “Fantastic Beasts and… oh!” The full title, the words she’d spoken to him that day at the docks, stared back at her. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? You used my title?” 

He nodded, suddenly shy. “It was better than any title I could come up with on my own.” And that was the truth. He and his publisher had bandied around at least a dozen possible titles before circling back to Tina’s. Nothing else had come close to sounding right. “I thought when you saw it… you’d understand.” He forced himself to look her in the eye – never an easy feat when she was cross with him. But then he saw his own confusion and hope reflected back at him in her dark eyes.

Tina did understand. One of the first things she’d learned about Newt was that he was a man of few words. He wasn’t the sort of man who would tell a girl he fancied her. He was the sort of man who’d put her title suggestion in print and clip her photograph out of a newspaper because he didn’t have a proper picture of her. He was a man of action. She felt an uncertain smile begin to sneak its way across her face, but she held it back. She didn’t want to look too eager. She set the book down beside their empty teacups and nudged the drawer shut with her hip. “You thought I’d see it in a bookstore and I’d just fall into your arms again?”

Her words had him ducking his head again. “Not exactly.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “In my last letter, the one you didn’t get? I was inviting you to my book launch at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley. I thought if I couldn’t bring the book to you personally…” He caught her gaze again, his eyes pleading. “I just wanted to see you again. I don’t know how that letter could have gone astray…”

“I have an idea or two,” she said darkly. Even though they were alone, she lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I think someone is out to get me. I’m not sure if it’s someone at your Ministry or someone at MACUSA, but this isn’t the first time I’ve missed getting mail. But that doesn’t matter now,” she added, when she saw the look of alarm on his face. 

“Doesn’t matter?” he repeated. “Tina, if you’re in danger, I want to help.”

She shook her head. “That’s the problem, Newt. You can’t help me when you’re an ocean away. We can’t have any kind of a relationship from opposite sides of the Atlantic if we keep miscommunicating like this.”

But Newt had the spark of an idea. Perhaps it was a little forward, but he had nothing left to lose by asking. “Maybe you could stay in England for a while,” he suggested. “Lie low while you finish your investigation.” 

He tilted his head, trying to gauge her reaction. Tina hardly knew what to say at such a proposal. But after a moment of reflection, she had to admit it made sense. Her assignment had her splitting time between England and France, checking in on people with alleged ties to Grindelwald’s movement and tracking the circus, but there was no reason why she couldn’t spend some time with Newt while she wasn’t working. And she wanted to spend time with him. She wanted it more than anything.

Get a hold of yourself, Goldstein. Half an hour ago, you were ready to rip him to shreds. “You still want to spend time with me?” she asked. “After I yelled at you and got jealous?”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled again. “You thought I was being a cad.”

“And you thought I’d forgotten you. I guess we’re even.”

“Not nearly.” He took another step toward her and suddenly he was close enough to reach for her hand. But he didn’t. Not yet. “Tina, I want to make this right. I don’t want you to be cross with me. Please… please tell me what I can do to make it up to you.”

She couldn’t take it anymore. For all the time she’d been angry and hurting, she’d never considered the possibility that he’d been hurting too. How could I have been so blind? The last shred of her anger finally melted into a single tear that seemed to slide in slow motion down her face. She shook her head and turned away, not wanting him to see. But he moved with her, reaching out a trembling hand to brush the tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. The sudden contact brought her back to herself – back to that day at the docks and the first time he’d ever touched her with romantic intentions. She exhaled slowly, remembering the way he’d stroked her hair and brushed her cheek with the back of his thumb, making her heart leap in her chest – the same way it was leaping now, pounding so fiercely she thought it would burst through her skin. “Just tell me,” she whispered, not trusting her full voice. “Do I still mean something to you?” 

“Tina…” He gently tilted her chin upward to fully look into her eyes. “You mean more to me than I can say. That’s why I kept your picture.”

The picture. It was still in her pocket. She fumbled for a moment, making sure it didn’t tear when she retrieved it. “It’s not even a good picture,” she murmured as she handed it back to him, her cheeks flushing from embarrassment. “I look cross.”

Newt disagreed. He thought the picture captured her beautifully: from the intelligent tilt of her head, to the familiar intensity of her pointed gaze and the slight upturn of her lips. How many times had he imagined what it would be like to kiss those lips? Far more than he was willing to admit. “I think you look lovely,” he insisted, gazing fondly at it. “I just wanted… I needed something to remember you by. To keep me on the straight and narrow.”

She stifled an uncharacteristic giggle. “I don’t think you’ve ever been on the straight and narrow a day in your life, Mr. Scamander.”

“Oh well.” He laughed lightly and set the photograph down on the desk. There was one important detail about the photograph that was different to the Tina that stood before him now. “Er… I like the way you’re wearing your hair now,” he added. “The fringe suits you.”

Tina touched her hair self-consciously. She preferred to wear it short, but the bangs had taken some getting used to. She smiled hesitantly as he reached up to stroke her hair again, gently brushing a stray strand back into place. “Very lovely,” he insisted as her face heated up again. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention anymore than he was used to expressing it. 

“People don’t usually say that about me,” she admitted, unable to meet his eyes. 

“They should,” he said softly as his fingertips trailed across the plane of her cheekbone. Now that he was touching her, he didn’t want to stop. He traced the line of her jaw and let his fingers trail down the side of her neck before his whole hand came to rest on the slope of her shoulder. “I should have. Before.” She breathed in sharply and he froze in his tracks. Her body had tensed up beneath his touch. “Should I not…?”

He made to move his hand away, but she caught it and held it in place, eyeing him all the while. “It’s alright,” she said. “I’m just not used to any of this.” She’d thought about it, though. Some nights, when Queenie was out of the house and couldn’t read her mind, Tina would lie in bed after re-reading his letters and letting her imagination carry her away. It would always start innocently – a remembrance of their hands clasped together, accompanied by an awkwardly affectionate look – but invariably she’d find herself fantasizing about being in his arms while he kissed her breathless. And other times, in her most desperate hours, she imagined his hands on her body, tentative explorations that gave way to passion as she’d envision him undressing her and inviting her to bed… too much, she thought, schooling herself back into the moment. “It’s… it’s a lot to take in,” she said, knowing how feeble the words sounded. 

He nodded, carefully weaving their fingers together by her side. “It is a lot,” he agreed. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable…”

Truth be told, it was taking all the self-restraint Tina possessed not to throw her arms around him. As much as the thought of greater intimacy frightened her, now that she knew he still cared for her, she was letting herself hope again. Letting herself want again. “This is the most comfortable I’ve felt all day,” she confessed. His calloused fingers felt pleasant against her soft ones and she didn’t want to let go. Not again. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore,” she murmured, “but I don’t know what to do. I want… I want to be with you, Newt.” She forced herself to look up, to make sure her eyes were locked on his and there was no question of him misunderstanding her again. “But we’ve already lost so much time…”

“Then let’s make up for lost time,” he vowed, his voice low and serious. “I’ve been hoping against hope that I still had a chance… do I still have a chance, Tina?” 

His eyes were so hopeful she couldn’t bear to torment him a moment longer. Tina had never been one to make the first move when it came to romance, but if she didn’t give him a little encouragement, they’d remain in this standoff forever. “I’m willing to give it a second go if you are.”

His shoulders sagged with relief and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not sure we ever had a first go,” he mumbled, blushing ever so slightly.

He’s so cute when he’s embarrassed, she thought. And he’s right. Not unless you count holding hands while running from those MACUSA guards. “What does a first go look like?” she wondered. She looked down to where their hands were still entwined. “Does this count?”

Newt tilted his head to the side, considering it. “I think so. Or maybe… will you let me hold you? Just for a moment?”

The first time he’d held her, when she’d jumped from the back of the swooping evil and into his arms to escape the death potion, had been all too brief and not romantic at all. But that one moment had changed everything. It was a leap of faith – not just for the literal leap into his open arms but a figurative one as well. It was the first time she’d opened herself up and trusted him. And for the rest of their time in New York, she’d never lost that trust. “I thought you’d never ask,” she murmured, her body already straining toward his. He followed her lead and pulled her into a careful embrace, easing her into the shelter of his arms with utmost care. She sighed with relief and leaned into him, letting warmth of his body and the tenderness of his touch reawaken her senses. I should have known he’d be gentle, she thought as she let her chin come to rest on his shoulder. He’s always so careful with his creatures. Now he’s being even more careful with me. Can he feel how fast my heart is pounding? Oh mercy, what do I do now? I’m not even remotely angry with him anymore. Should I put my arms around him? Should I let him kiss me?

Newt sensed that she was hesitating and loosened his hold on her. “Are you alright, Tina? Is this too much?”

She was hasty to reassure him. “No!” she exclaimed. “I mean, no. It’s nice. You don’t have to let go.”

“Oh.” Newt let one of his hands trail down spine, coming to rest against the small of her back, making her arch toward him. “I wonder if… would it be alright if I kissed you? Or is that asking too much?”  
She lifted her head, praying he wouldn’t see how much she was second guessing herself. “I was wondering if you’d want to. I mean, you can. If you want.” She cleared her throat nervously, avoiding his gaze all the while. “But I should warn you: I’m not very good at it.”

“I don’t mind,” he promised. “I don’t think I’m very good at it either. But I would like to try.”

Tina wanted to try. She had no idea what she was doing, but touching him seemed like a good place to start. She gently placed both of her hands on his slouched shoulders. He didn’t seem to mind, for his usually tense posture relaxed under the light pressure of her touch and his eyes were now drifting to where she was touching him. A hopeful smile lit up his face and his eyes continued to drift as he inclined his head to hers, taking care to seek the approval in her gaze before his eyes settled on her lips. She smiled nervously and nodded her head. Queenie had once advised her to play it cool, but the time for that was long gone. Not now that he was running a finger along the outline of her mouth, fully drinking in every little detail before angling his head down and capturing her lips with his.  
Their first kiss was a chaste thing: a soft brushing of lips and a shared inhale as their hearts beat in tandem and their bodies swayed from the release of emotions so long pent up. Newt pulled away first, not wanting to overwhelm her, so he got the surprise of his life when Tina pulled him back in and laid a second, and rather passionate, kiss on his lips. Abandoning all pretense, he gathered her in his arms and held on for dear life as they kissed and kissed, only coming up for air when Jacob wrapped on the lid of the case and called down to them: “Newt! Your brother’s here!”

Newt pulled away reluctantly, unable to keep from staring at Tina’s flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips. There was fire in her eyes again, though for a different reason than before. That’s my Tina, he thought proudly. She’s always passionate about the things she cares about. And how lucky am I, to be one of those things. “Theseus can bugger off,” Newt called up to Jacob. “I’m afraid I’m quite busy at the moment.” He grinned and kissed her cheek for good measure.

Tina chortled and buried her face in the hollow of his neck and shoulder, breathing in his now-familiar earthy smell. Finally, she thought triumphantly. He’s all mine. And I have no intention of letting him get away from me again.

Jacob called out again, sounding more agitated this time. “What should I tell Theseus? He’s here to pick you up for the Travers’ party!”

“Tell him I’m busy!” Newt hollered back, then added to Tina. “I think I owe you a proper date, Miss Goldstein.”

“Aw.” She pretended to pout. “And here I thought I’d have to place you under investigation again just to spend time with you, Mr. Scamander.”

Newt grinned and pulled her close. “There’s no one I’d rather have investigating me.”

Her heart leaped in her chest again but this time it didn’t hurt. Now it felt like her entire being was soaring as high as her hopes. “You know,” she said, as her eyes lit on the photograph still resting on his desk. “I could get you a proper photo of me. If you wanted.”

“I’d like that,” he said, leaning in to add, “very much. I'd like that very much indeed.”


End file.
